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Show THE CITIZEN 5 and yet so formidable to look at, unless on the theory that he likes it. I suspect that is why; and I suspect that it is at least 10 per cent of why Lord Beaconsfield and Mr. Gladstone have debated so much in the House of Commons., .and why Burnaby rode to Khiva the other day, and why the Admirals courted war like a mistress. est knowledge that brother-in-lahad lost the big, new destroyer Jacob Jones. Was it not the only new destroyer sunk by an enemy torpedo ? Perhaps, but our busy secretary did not pay much attention to such incidents, until after the war. It just happened to occur to him that those who lost their ships at sea were deserving of the highest honor and, after he had made the classification, it just hapSWIVEL-CHAI- R was included in the classification, to the pened that brother-in-laHEROES astonishment of the secretary. Remember, youths of the nation, when you become officers in heritage of heroism Secretary Daniels will WHAT anto inspiring the American navy if he has his puny way! In the the navy to discard the old practice of reporting We have met the next war our brave commanders, instead of crying Dont give up the enemy and they are ours, and report your distinguished service as ! follows: We have met the enemy and we are theirs. ship, will shout, Dont give up the swivel-chaOn February 4, 1919, an act of Congress was approved which As commander in the war zone, Admiral William S. Sims, had first-han- d knowledge of the distinguished and often heroic services gave the President power to give the medals for war service in the rendered by the officers of the American destroyers and other craft navy and marine corps. But not long ago, when it came time to deQ engaged in battling with the Teuton submarines. He recommended cide to whom the medals should go, the President was ill and not able many of these officers for the distinguished service medal and his to act. So Josephus Daniels, secretary of the navy, was, it seems, accorded the right to give the medals. He had no way of knowing recommendations were approved by the board of award' Then Secthe list with the result that the officers who should and who should not get them, so he appointed a board retary Daniels who demonstrated their courage and high skill in actual warfare were composed of naval officers of high rank, all fair minded men to go over all the cases and decide who should get medals and what kind awarded the navy crosses, a lesser honor, while the medal was accorded officers who were on shore duty throughout the war or who they should get. The law says that there shall be a medal of honor for acts of great lost their ships. heroism in actual fighting. Then there is the navy .cross for acts of of the secretary, commander Lieutenant Bagley, brother-in-laof the new destroyer, Jacob Jones, which was submarined by the this kind not so great. Arrangement was made also to give the disGermans, was recommended for the navy cross, but the secretary tinguished service medal for great and unusual service and the navy cross for service not so great. After the board had decided they gave him the distinguished service medal. Admiral Sims voiced the sentiments of the fighting men of the sent the list of those they thought should get the distinguished navy when, refusing to accept the medal awarded him, he denounced service cross, the medal of honor or the navy cross to Mr. Daniels the secretarys awards. Undoubtedly a congressional investigation for his approval. Did he accept what these men had decided who will be held and Secretary Daniels will lose some more of his dwarfish had been working on the list for eight months to make fair selections? Instead of that he made up a list of his own, cut out a large number of reputation. sat tight and kept quidt he might have names and put in the names of his relatives and friends and took pains Had the little gone down into history sharing the glory of the efficient officers who to see that officers to whom he holds a personal dislike were hot helped to win the war, but he must needs wield the blue pencil of his recognized. editorial days in an effort to delete honor from those whom fighting Mr. Daniels appointed the board so that fair awards of the medals folk hailed as heroes. Instead of pinning on them the red badge of could be made and he should have accepted their findings. He has courage, the wee statesman tried to obliterate them with a blue admitted that he took off the names of officers recommended by the board and put in names he wanted in their place. Rear Admiral Austin smudge. A hero who was blown up and seriously wounded and who preM. Knight was awarded the navy cross by Mr. Daniels. He comferred to die rather than be taken into an overcrowded boat carrying manded the Asiatic squadron during the war rendering great service many women was given the cross, although recommended for the and everyone believes he should have been awarded the distinguished medal, while the medal was conferred on a bungling commander who service meal. was penalized with a reduction in numbers for running his ship Another case is that of Rear Admiral Cowie. When Mr. Daniels aground off the coast of France. That favoritism has been displayed got to his name he evidently let a personal quarrel he had had with in the case of the blundering commander is strongly to be suspected, the officer determine what he should do. When the board was taking for he is the son of Admiral Benson. up Admiral Cowies name they had letters of praise from Secretary Daniels about him. They were so strong the board commented upon Making his defense, Secretary Daniels, while excusing his recommendations in favor of swivel-chawarriors, fails to explain why he them. The Admirals service had been important and the board recwithheld the distinguished service medal from those who, in actual ommended the distinguished service medal. But in the meantime warfare, had so conducted themselves as to be recommended for the there was a quarrel between the two men and when Mr. Daniels came to Admiral Gowies name he struck it from the list. highest award by Admiral Sims. I determined, says the secretary, as soon as I saw their report The board recommended the distinguished service medal for Gen(that of the board of award), to include the name of every commander eral McCawley of the marine corps. It is charged that because Mr. of a torpedoed ship in the list who had done his duty under the trying Daniels did not like him he took him off the list. The general is recircumstances like a man. I had the records searched for these names lated by marriage to Senator Lodge who led the fight against the and had them added to the list. Commander Bagley, my brother-in-laLeague of Nations and that may have something to do with Mr. Daniels attitude. Brig. Gen. George Richards of the marine corps happened to be one of the men. Is anyone so cruel as to suspect that the secretary prepared a was also recommended by the board for the distinguished service would fit? classification into which his brother-in-lamedal but Mr. Daniels took his name off the list. would apHow should the secretary know that brother-in-lapear on a list of those who commanded ships torpedoed by the enemy? SENATOR KING AS A RESCUER he and was a There were so few ways of acquiring the knowledge aid to the injured is the task which Senator King has 'ftusy man. Of course, there must have been an official report of the FIRST in an attempt to harmonize the differences between the manner in which Lieutenant David Worth Bagley lost his ship at sea, but there were so many official reports that the secretary did not rcservationists Or perhaps, in this merry have time to peruse all of them. And, of course, the newspapers reYuletide, we should regard him as a peacemaker seeking to bind the corded the story in ample fashion, but the secretary evidently had a factions by gold chains of good will. headache that day and did not do much reaing. Thus it came about The reservationists may be accused of stubborness and wilfulness in refusing to accept any modifications of their treaty changes, but the that when he prepared his arbitrary classification he had not the slight w w 9 ir blue-pencil- ed w land-lubb- er ir w, w w amLanti-reservationist- s. |